Career

He became known after appearing as a regular on the MTV television series Viva La Bam, where he was commonly referred to as "Don Vito," a nickname given to him by his nephew Bam. The nickname referred to his near unintelligible speech reminiscent of Don Vito Corleone, of The Godfather, as well as saluting the Margera family's Italian heritage. He had previously appeared in sketches and videos with his family, most of whom were released as part of the CKY series and some later featured in Jackass.

Personal life

Don Vito was born on July 9, 1968, in Gary, Indiana to Louis and Juanita Richard. While in high school, he learned the art of DJing and would perform at school dances and local house parties. After being discharged from the Marine Corps, Vito moved to Atlanta, Georgia.

Music career

Vito was introduced to record producer, DJ Cooley C, who gave him the opportunity to work with hip hop artist, Ghetto Mafia and Kilo. Later, he met Ian Burke who introduced him to female rapper Solé, signed to RedZone Entertainment. Tricky Stewart signed him to Redzone, working with artists such as Solé, Mýa, and Blu Cantrell. Less than four years later, Don Vito ventured out with the R&B group, Cherish.